How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?

How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?

2009, Society  -   299 Comments
8.08
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Ratings: 8.08/10 from 382 users.

The world's human population is growing too fast for the planet to sustain it. But just how many more people can exist on Earth until it reaches its breaking point? That's the central question of How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?, a sobering BBC documentary production which is hosted and narrated by internationally acclaimed naturist Sir David Attenborough.

The film argues that mankind is inadvertently setting itself up for a supreme reckoning. A series of experts from the United Nations and other global organizations set the groundwork for this dilemma. They conclude that one of the major contributors to our impending peril lies in the many medical innovations which have permitted substantially longer life spans for the human race. As a result, populations have skyrocketed continuously since the 1800s. This presents a fascinating dichotomy: our distinction may be brought on in part by the very same advances that have ensured our longevity.

As the film makes clear, we are already witnessing the ill effects of human overcrowding around the world. Over a billion people do not have access to clean drinking water, food shortages are rampant, and an international energy crisis continues to plague us. With an estimated 80 million new births each year - many taking place in regions already suffering from severely depleted resources - the world is facing a calamitous destiny that will leave no one untouched.

What's the solution? The filmmakers endorse the need for smaller families and increased access to contraceptives. Renewed investments in education are also championed in the film, particularly for women in impoverished countries, because the highly educated are less likely to have multiple children. Attenborough contends that it is only by following each of these steps that mankind can effectively limit the creation of new life and ensure a sustainable future for our species.

Some viewers may find the perspectives presented in How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? to be cold and controversial, but Attenborough's congenial manner and scientifically sound approach makes for an illuminating and persuasive argument. He interprets the human species with the same level of microscopic curiosity that distinguishes his studies of the animal kingdom.

Directed by: Helen Shariatmadari

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Greytooth
Greytooth
2 years ago

This documentary is out of date and incorrect. It turns out that the human population, whose growth has already started slowing, will level off at between 9 and 10 billion in a few years. People are having fewer children, especially in wealthy nations. And more and more nations are rising above poverty.

Raymond
Raymond
2 years ago

This is the usual, doctrinaire materialist propaganda on human mating. It presumes that the changes occurring on earth are mostly bad for us and for life on earth. It presumes there is no intention or preference worth considering on earth beyond our own. It presumes that it is a human beings right and destiny to make all the important decisions for him or herself, as well as anyone else under his or her care.

I say life on earth is conscious but very slow due to it's size and the inherit speed limitations of chemical intelligence. After every major planetary disaster, life has greatly increased in complexity. I say we were generated in order to respond more quickly to planetary threats than the mind of D.N.A. can. Our minds were meant to host the mind of D.N.A. and other spirits, not to serve our personal desires.

The warming of the earth will result in more arable land than exists now - even with the submergence of coastal areas. If we switched from grains and other annual plants to trees and other perennial plants for our food, we could restore a version of the forests which once covered Europe, China, India, and Bantu Africa. Ditto switching from meat to the shellfish, eggs, etc. diet of our beach combing ancestors. Then we could replace our current sewage systems with one which could store and return our wastes to food growing areas without the vast number of poisonous chemicals the current waste stream includes. These big tasks but are cheaper than the wars we prepare for and fight so regularly.

Malthus and Hitler told us the proliferation of the weak would destroy us and we must eliminate them to give the strong living space and food. The countries which most adhered to that now have shrinking native populations which must import workers, leading to rising ethnic tension. It's all a con. Let's stop listening to the intelligentsia just as we stopped listening to the state religions of yesteryear. They just spin lies to get and keep society going in the directions the ruling class wishes it to go - and for their own benefit, not ours.

Shumaila
Shumaila
3 years ago

Do you want answers? Go to alislam.org
and go find an online Holy Quran the last book of god that hasn't been altered EVER under gods protection. :)

Saleem
Saleem
3 years ago

Let me say an example to prove that your idea of high population does risk healthy living in the earth is wrong. If someone makes a cage for his dogs he would calculate its size, because he knows that small cage is insufficient for more dogs. Here he is maker or creater of the cage. But in the case of earth God is creator and He exactly knows about occupants strength. So your worry about high population is vain. Allah has clearly describes it in His holy book Quran that one should not kill their children on the fear of poverty, because I am giving them livelihood for both you and your children. Did you come to the point?

Greeley Miklashek, MD
Greeley Miklashek, MD
3 years ago

Here are a few supportive facts. Of all the mammalian land-based biomass, we are 33% and the animals we raise and eat are another 66%, which leaves 1% wild. We are now 3,000 times more numerous than were our pre-agricultural revolution Hunter-Gatherer ancestors. Were we to adopt a voluntary one child family contraceptive movement worldwide, then we'd reduce our population to the 1950 level of 2.5B by 2,100, which is just barely sustainable going forward. What this retired physician has had to conclude after a lifetime in medical practice is this: Population Density Stress Is Killing Us Now, through ALL of our myriad and rapidly increasing "diseases of civilization", halted only by our heroic medical and public health interventions costing $3.6T currently, but projected to be $5T by 2030. Stress R Us

Richard P Beauchamp
Richard P Beauchamp
4 years ago

Surely the figure is 80 million more of us each year, not 80 million births as mentioned in this quote:
“As the film makes clear, we are already witnessing the ill effects of human overcrowding around the world. Over a billion people do not have access to clean drinking water, food shortages are rampant, and an international energy crisis continues to plague us. With an estimated 80 million new births each year - many taking place in regions already suffering from severely depleted resources - the world is facing a calamitous destiny that will leave no one untouched.”

winter
winter
4 years ago

poor people in 3rd world countries are not consuming resources. even if they had a million kids a day, it wouldn't matter. They do not have the power to accomplish this.
Rich nations come in and offer to help in exchange for their resources. Then they pay the leaders of these countries for the resources, making them very rich indeed. But the leadera take the rich countries wealth and line their pockets. They never pass it on to help their poor citizens who are starving. But we do have an overpopulation problem just the same. We have too many rich white men and women gobbling up the resources of the world.

The real Dwight Schrute
The real Dwight Schrute
5 years ago

There's too many people on this earth. We need a new plague.

Sapphyreopal5
Sapphyreopal5
5 years ago

I read once that if our cities were designed like NYC with public areas for play and whatnot and property sizes like in NYC, the world could fit in the state of Texas. Tight spacing and not enough room but the point is that our poor utilization of our resources and available land is a good reason why we're in this crisis in the first place. Cities are overcrowded, yet you fly over many places in the world and there are untouched pieces of land. I want plenty of beautiful places kept sacred but there are places just outside of cities that are barely touched.

Look at this statistic: Over 2.2 BILLION tonnes of food are wasted worldwide everywhere, yet kids are freaking starving in third world countries. 2.2 billion tonnes. Half of that waste comes from the USA, where we don't even constitute a strong portion of the world's population. How depressing is that? I learned in my ecology class in college that there are literally thousands of edible species, yet about 85% of our food comes from about 100 and about 95% comes specifically from about a dozen or so from those 100 species. Many of the animals we consume are in fact some of the least sustainable sources of meat. Look at how much water we use for the animals, to clean them and the barn houses they live in, to grow their food, etc. Plus the rainforest issue, don't get me started on how heartbreaking that is, not to mention the soil in rainforests is actually quite unideal for agricultural purposes anyways.

We don't need to stop people from reproducing, we need better utilization of our resources and start consuming more sustainable species (less meat for sure too). Don't buy into the propaganda made by the greedy elite who want to keep their ridiculous amounts of money and keeping most of the world poor and hungry. We don't need to eat 16 oz steaks, nor do we need a giant plate full of food at every meal. Eat until you're satisfied, not until you're full. Stop convincing the world that death is good for the economy, and life is bad for the planet.

Robbie
Robbie
5 years ago

The reason for the worlds problems is not the over population. The problem is corrupt, greedy, and often downright evil people who want it all then blame the people. The media are either as stupid as a drunk sheep or part of the evil group. The reason people are so bad? I read somewhere....oh yes, in Gods word to us "The LOVE of money, is the root of all kinds of evil. Politicians are a special breed of evil and i often wonder if they do in fact have souls or conscience? Recent wars, if not the vast majority, are nothing to do with self defence. Its about conquering, arms sales, power and sex. You will ALL find out some day ( i hope it is soon) that the only Hope for mankind is the return of the Lord of peace. Jesus will destroy every corrupt system on earth and set up his Holy Kingdom which will last for evermore.

Better than Hitler
Better than Hitler
5 years ago

Boi Hitler basically murdered almost 90 mil people

like how does weather compete with that

The ice age was big

but Hitler killed off or caused almost 80 mil deaths

he would've succeeded too if he had just planned out a little more

so just think about that.....

DustUp
DustUp
5 years ago

Some good comments. Whenever this topic comes up I always suggest that those who think its too crowded ought to lead by example and remove themselves.

No matter how pretty they want to paint it, there are groups such as the free masons and likely others, that want to eliminate the majority of the population. Is Attenborough a free mason? I don't know but they seem to have a bit of control over media and have their minions everywhere.

Now it wouldn't surprise me one bit that many of the same socialist-communist-"progressive" folks that desire gun control also want population control. That might not make sense on the face of it... But it does make sense when they can get rid of many much faster if you cannot defend yourself. Which of course is the plan. Ask Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Hillary, Obama, Democrat leaders, etc.

From what I understand, the populations of the western countries are not expanding all that much. Not that many families are large any more, many with just 1 or 2 kids, except the poorest who used to (and maybe still do) get a larger govt check the more kids they had.

One commenter estimated that at some point they may just spray us from above with contraceptive "for our own good". That is already happening. Chemtrails are overhead most days. The toxic nano-metals not only harm humans but all life. It will poison the soil eventually. Reports of stunted crops have already come in. Then there is still the spread/bombardment with radiation from Japan's Fukushima by air and water.

Genetically Modified Crops will shorten many a life as will the next world war which will no doubt be about money and power for the war profiteering bankster elite who also own the GMO seed companies.

Then there are the other type of evil wankers who develop and release various new and old diseases... as well as those areas of the world which sleep with their swine which comingle with their birds causing various virus mutations.

I am not particularly worried about over population. Just feel sad for those that have little or no means to protect themselves from the onslaught and those who still think their govt is good and in general is there to protect them. There is too much evidence to the contrary to believe that ...but they still do.

Martinez
Martinez
6 years ago

This is sad, but I have nonsense to add wich to me is accurate.
Over populated is an issue but an advantage as well. At this point instead of competing on who is richer or smarter, maybe we should be realistic. One the Congress logo Eugenics was a way to implicate Involuntary Sterilizarion, while in gods bible states “Let them multiply”. ( not that I red the Bible or studied anything of Medicine) The best teacher is a great mother and Mother Nature teaches us by our senses and critical thinking. The science catagory knows we can’t survive normally in other planets. Yet we find better way to make life easier because the laws and code of conduct has created this way of controlling the people with their own benefit. Light, heat, shelter, school,work etc. the worl was made to give us resources our choice were given to see if we have good judgement. Confusion is key to wrong doing. Knowledge is the cure. If we were all educated to protect the Earth we wouldn’t be fighting for clicks, as in country and all, if we all spoke one language had one believe and know and act upon what’s right millions of people could survive to protect the earth.

Unprofessionally writing here.

We need the animals we need the water we need the plants we have to let go of the money and unnecessary product made by product that are none recyclable.
God mad rules already there should be no other than that , I don’t think he ever approved for it, yet he sits in the side lines because we only learn from our mistakes. That’s how we succeed.

Thank you for your time.

Levi Stokes
Levi Stokes
6 years ago

I'm not saying that we need to take extreme measures by any means, but we do need to pay attention to this issue. Animals in nature reach their carrying capacity all the time. If we look at deer they sometimes reach the limit of what the environment can sustain. Then nature takes its course such as disease or they outgrow their food source. The population is expected to double again in the next 50 years. Its just a matter of sustainability humans are responsible for many more species extinctions every year and we rely on certain animals and plants for survival ( such as honey bees for example which are also declining because of a disease that the bees get, so its not our fault necessarily). To me its more of a consumption issue. We can probably sustain more people if some countries will stop consuming so much. In my country (United States) we waste over 50 percent of our food and consume more than any other country. Climate change will be another issue. Whether you believe that its naturally happening or not ( I believe its naturally occurring, the earth has changed its environments for billions of years, but I believe that humans are speeding up the process by emitting greenhouse gasses).I do not hate humans by any means, we have achieved so much as a species and have solved many problems throughout human history. We are facing a problem of sustainability and climate change as of now and although it may be a big issue. I have faith in humanity that we can work though this. That's why I joined this field to help eradicate some of the issues concerning the environment today and hope to enrich the future so that humans can inhabit this planet for future generations. Just letting everyone know I'm not trying to go against anyone's beliefs or customs. I am just presenting some things to you all based on the research I have done.

John
John
6 years ago

The entire earths population can fit in the State of Florida and still live comfortably. lol. The whole premise that the population is exploding and theres no room is nothing more than the Elite Scum who are not worried about that but are in fact worried that the 99% will wake up and hang them by their balls or tits. So sick and tired of fools listening or regurgitating this lie. No one on this earth should go without food. Also another lie is that humans were around for millions of years on this earth. If we were here for that long, do you really think there would be only 6.8 billion people on this planet? Until you all understand these facts, you will continue to be led astray by these satanists whose sole purpose is to deceive you that there is no GOD. Use you common sense and dont be a recording of what you hear.

Realistic
Realistic
6 years ago

Guys seriously you will all be dead by the time any of this happens so chill out go get yourself a beer and enjoy your life. Peace out ;0)

Chris Bystroff
Chris Bystroff
7 years ago

Does anybody read all this stuff?

WillD
WillD
7 years ago

WOW, All of you have a manacle of opinion. Great stuff and, well said (for most).
But, I must say! For those that are GOD inspired. The Bible was not written by GOD, it was written by man, wither you like it or not.
Don't get me wrong I was raised in Religion and, Baptist! At a young age. However I have learned that a miracle has the same chances as winning the Lottery. That Race is not coming to save you, though it may come and destroy you for stupidity. As has happened in the past. According to the good book. Yet still written by man. GOD may have said "Be fruitful and multiply" but, yet not only did "PAUL & JESUS" afterwards. Preach CELABCEY to stop the practice. In the New Testament. Why do Christians continue with there sinning ways. In multiples! This can be considered an abomination to the word of his way. If you really want to know, I conceive that if you don't have kids, you get to come back and, re-spawn in order too change the World. The way it was meant to be. In the order that is pre ordained. I see this because, Time can be manipulated as Einstein suggested. We may very well be locked in a loop that will continue until we get it right. Be good and good too others! My fellow Humans.

Joel
Joel
7 years ago

I'm doing a paper on basic human needs. This video focusses primarily on cities and towns being over populated, so maybe its time that people start moving out of the city into the wilderness where they can grow their own crops and raise their own farm animals. Canada has a massive Northern landscape that is barely touched. Every US state has massive amounts of land with not a person or road or lake or tree or farm or anything else on it. I was looking at google earth today overtop of Africa. In the South Africa the population is 52.98 million and the land mass is 1.22 million square kilometers, but only a fraction is used by cities, towns and villages and still only a fraction of that land is used up by farms. Why can't we develop outsite the cities. Why can't families grow enough food on their own lands. Give everyone a pocket of land instead the government, private business or others hoarding it for themselves. In Papua New Guinea a drought wiped out all crops and many people died of starvation and thirst. Why? People were eating clay to retrieve water...why can't they drink they water coming down the river? People need to use the resources they have right in front of their faces, but how can they if the developed world refuses to pass along the information. There is ample evidence showing transfer of information in the ancient world. But at some point between the ancient world and the developed world, the information stopped transfering and its primarily because nations received freely and then decided to sell it instead of give it freely! Basic needs of a developing nation as described by the United Nations is the ability to pay for food shelter and clothing, but this is flawed. Instead basic needs should be: the ability to aquire new knowledge, new abilities and new processes through free information transfer. So instead of the developed world stipping third world countries of all its natural resources, they should be focussing more on showing the third world country how to access it themselves so that third world country doesn't have to borrow from the developed country to feed its citizens. In 3000BC copper was mined in Romania. It took, just 200 years for the technology and information for mining copper to travel 3000 miles. But for that same technology to reach Papua New Guinea, it took 5000 years. Why? Its because the information did not transfer.

Petru Burac
Petru Burac
7 years ago

:-) I did a calculation and we can go up to 200( two hundred) billion on our Earth. Earth surface is 510.1 million km² and for a family of 5 members I said to have 1800 m2(= A big house 10x10m, a big courtyard 20x50m, surrounded by streets/space all around).

We have to admit that we have A LOT of resources on Earth which we don't use.

What resources we use we overproduce then we don't manage well: So some people throw food and resources away and some people are missing them.

The conclusion: We have a lot of room on Earth, food and energy for everybody. We have to use our brains to find solutions and our heart to worship God our GOOD Creator.

Be blessed with no worries!

purGaTorian
purGaTorian
7 years ago

It's so fascinating to me that people really think that God exist. Stop believing the **** that is being fed to you by people who are portraying to be and stop living in your land of fake-believe.

Rizwan
Rizwan
7 years ago

planet earth will heal itself, if we cross the limit there will be, on a regular basis new deseases are being launched like new clothes & i don't know why do you think USA is the only nation, human population is supposed to cross 10 billion in a very short time (US contains only 4.5-5% of world population) & according to my calculation no nation lasts strong more than 500 yrs in every millennium whorld dramatically changes twice, so not sure USA will last that long, every kingdom fall one day. if we are supposed to be dead let us, mother earth will last longer without US (F****** HUMAN including me )

Scoopify
Scoopify
7 years ago

I agree, for the most part. It is terrible that we alone have caused so much destruction, however I wouldn't say we are a threat to this planet. The amazing thing about earth is it's ability to heal itself. When we overstep our existence, this planet will do what it needs to to knock us back down. Or off completely. I have a strong feeling there will be earth after humans. Unfortunately we're not helping out cause.

Vero Sercanto
Vero Sercanto
8 years ago

Sorry to inform you but the Illuminati want to introduce NWO and reduce world population by 90% with fake wars, man made viruses and weather tampered and other man created disasters.

jason
jason
8 years ago

Another thing to consider is what do you do if you ever had a hurricane and an electrical storm on a REALLY big scale... so many things would be affected, its not like the governments can close the doors and let it pass or go out and do anything about it. They would see it coming, but we've also seen really horrible natural disasters. we even explain one as the extinction of dinosaurs. If ppl dont kill ppl (war,disease,famine), what happens when a really big cloud shows up and happens to fry a bunch of things? basically what happened with the world trade center. not the controversy, I mean that it was part of world finances being offset. only so much they can do with natures forces. A comet takes out hoover dam... all that water is going somewhere.. if they have emergencey drains or not. they might have a way to deal with that as opposed to a catostrophic electrical storm that would fry every computer in the US. sattellites are dead cause theres no access from computer and everything run by computer is "dead". That would set alot of the population back to dealing with how does bread get to grocer if the grocer cant get any shipments?

jason
jason
8 years ago

Age of Ultron people, Age of Ultron. LOL I wouldn't be surprised. Or some combination of The matrix, Micheal Bay Transformers, and the Borg turned out to be real

Timileyin Oki
Timileyin Oki
8 years ago

@Luke Wilson. By the 'selfish breeders' in your comment, I can't help but notice you're referring to Africans mostly. We were living cool in our own small world where we did wrong and got punished by death or other brutal means. We used to give birth, and the children may survive as a result of the usage of the right herbs and may not if the gods - according to primitive belief- choose not to help. There was nothing like poverty, but their was extreme wealth 'cause there was always a farm. We had kings who were ordained by the oracle, Ifá; checked by the priests, Ogboni and the people too, so if any wrong, including dictatorship was found on the king, he'd be impeached and banished. Princes were not made kings after their fathers' demise, but there were families where kings were made, causing suspense like modern day democracy.

There was nothing like stealing because if anyone stole, the god of thunder, Sango would strike the person. You can imagine an order where goods would be displayed with no one watching it, and a buyer would know the amount of the goods by the number of stones put near them; he'd take the goods, put down his cowries (money) accordingly and set out on his way. Leaders sworn with the gods they worshipped if they wanted to take their position. Nature was allowed to rule, but controlled too. There was morality: you wouldn't walk out of an elder; you'd respect your fathers words; you would have no pre-knowledge of sexual relationship, thereby preventing unwanted pregnancy, and on and on. We traded arts, sculptures, food, clothing with the Ghanaians, Benineses, Portugese, South Africans, etc. (That was of the Yorùbá culture of the Oduduwa nation in Nigeria). But your people came to us with medical supplies that would save our children, a book of the ways of primitive old men of Israel and their God, the God of Israel who purported killing of women and children, but later claimed to be the God of Peace to us.

You told us that if we believe in Him and Him alone, blessings will be bestowed upon us. You told us tales of the 'wealthy' men of Israel and how their God blessed them. You told us we are Abraham's children when clearly we're not even a bit affiliated. You told us God varied languages in Babylon -with the 250 languages in Nigeria alone-. You said our people were not sophisticated, but I'm still wondering how they crossed the oceans.... Your people colonized our land, taught our people selfishness and our so called nationalist leaders corruption. You led our people with your greedy eyes. You discovered oil in our land, and they started leaving agriculture. Our leaders who you've corrupted left the masses to save themselves, they started entrepreneurship trade, and therefore, they give birth to children to be able to assist them and to help them live at their old age.

You innovated medical supplies, our people give birth with ease. I know you felt your wisdom a little by deceiving the gullible. Your government invented HIV to discourage sex, then LGBT, for birth control. The US 'ranted' to not supply arms to Nigeria to fight terrorism, which I know is to reduce our population if the Gay Law is not permitted. The Pope supported Gay so as to make Christians worldwide to see no bad in it, unknowingly for him that Africans won't accept it 'cause Catholic's Fathers don't perform miracles, and they are believed to be sinners. The Muslims too accept the law of Muhammed of uncontrolled birth. If you ask a religious fanatic here why he/she gave birth to more than two children, he'll say it was not in the Bible or Quaran to not give birth to a desired number, and that children are the salt of life and reason of existence..... I live among the dogmatic ones who don't think beyond surface, attribute everything to God, say God will provide for him to provide for his kids.

During an Economics class while I was in secondary school- high school, you call it- I raised the topic on controlled birth saying scientific discoveries did things, but I was discouraged when they said if not for uncontrolled birth, would I be saying that (I'm the 5th and last child). Many read 'population will outstrip resources' and 'birth should be controlled' religiously, write them down in test for marks, but that doesn't mean they don't have it at the back of their mind that they'll give birth to 3 kids.... I know so many strategies that can help to control birth in West Africa, Nigeria to be precise, but it will go nowhere. I doff my cap to whoever invented Ebola, but I'm also sorry it didn't attain the height expected of it.

mystcomment
mystcomment
8 years ago

we will not underestimated that how many people die everyday in whole world and we will not underestimated that how many babies born everyday in the whole world because everything is unexpected.

and another thing, can you underestimated the population on earth this year? can someone exactly do that??..... I think it's no one exact that. because everyday that have new and loss.. and you know sometimes other people had a sins. you know why? because there so idiot to do that thing so fast. and they didn't know how was affected that.

overpopulated people? I think that's true but I think the other people on their thrones didn't think that the urban of their country is many people and crowd or should I say... they didn't notice that and they think their negotiate with others and benefits that they will got.

no offense but that's I notice and take note: don't too much thinking of tomorrow because to much thinking of that is too possibility to happened that I next day.

and I advised? care the environment from now on if you want to live longer in this world your love ones and other your next generations and controlled the overpopulated because if it's not control... the population was grower than you thought

and last that video is only a theory okay??

Dr.BRMoran
Dr.BRMoran
8 years ago

After several years of theoretical studies and cunducting vast studies on humanistic behavors, I've concluded many theorie, some proven and some not. I have created a prediction based off the size and depthness if the earth and inclusion, there would have yo around 64 billion people inhabitating this planet and the pollution to go along with these people, for it to be no more. So figure, around the year 3500.

Gerald Brells
Gerald Brells
8 years ago

Long time thinking for most people is what will happen tomorrow or the next day. They use religion to tell them how to think in fairy tales.Even some educated people fall for impossible stories from the bible and Koran.I wish religions were based on science and common sense instead of magic and mayhem .

John G Jones
John G Jones
8 years ago

Overpopulation is a big global problem, especially where too many people are competing for the same space. Overeating might be a still bigger global problem, especially where people have more money then sense.
It is becoming increasingly clear that governments around the world lack the structures they would need if they are to have much hope of solving their most pressing problems.
Human migration is currently the most urgent of these problems. So many would-be migrants have already drowned that their desperation is not in doubt. Politicians grappling with huge debts and popular anger about illegal immigrants are reduced to mouthing comfortless contradictions like: “We don’t want you to drown - but we don’t want you here”.
Again, the Greek dilemma has revealed that there is great wealth within that country which politicians are unable to tax because the wealth is safely stashed away in tax havens. There is much popular anger but a widespread feeling of impotence.
The most glaring present-day scandal is the fact that the wealthiest nations of the world, not themselves at war, grow still wealthier by selling arms to nations at war or threatened by insurgents. This does not stop their towns from getting gutted or their populations from fleeing to refugee camps. Nobody is currently able to stop the carnage.
In a globalised world, it is impossible to solve pressing problems like these until action can be taken on a global scale. Unless we are willing to allow the UN to possess strong global structures to impose the universal rule of law in all trans-national areas of government, things can only get worse.

Scarlet Pimpernel
Scarlet Pimpernel
10 years ago

Salem your naivety is staggering. Of course the planet needs smaller families. In the 21st century, families are consuming more resources than entire villages in terms of energy, water, land. And thats just the developed world. Africa and Asia are understandably aspiring to the same.
Do you think that just because your needs are met as one of a family of 9, theres no cost or consequence, that you arent taking a disproportionate slice of what the remaining population needs?
The point isnt about your family's ability to live comfortably or what it does to be responsible, the point is its size and just how many families there are.
As for the hysterical tirade accusing commentators of being eugenic, advise you reacquaint yourself with the dictionary-eugenics is concerned with the genetic/aesthetic qualities of existing populations, not population size.When the oil runs out you can forget 9 child familes anyway, given the energy intensive requirements of feeding America.

Salem
Salem
10 years ago

Smaller families? i really hope that isn't a suggestion in this film. Already the most developed countries are not even at replacement. There have been massive societies in history before that found a way to inhabit the earth without raping it. If we continue the population control agenda going, the dirty rats that have philandered the earth's resources won't leave enough people around to clean up the mess. How does a dessert heal? When humans build lakes & ponds & start cultivating in a biodynamic way. So someone tell me how population control is completely essential. I am the 3rd of 9 children & I got lectured by this rich bitch about wanting a lot of children. She tried to shame me out of it by saying that large families leave such a large carbon footprint on the earth. Well, my mom was a homemaker & while everyone else on our street had an average of only 3 residents per household, my parents never did (& still do not) need more than one garbage can. Also, this rich lady had 2 kids & was divorced. Her husband alone had 2 or 3 vehicles, she had an SUV & her 2 teen daughters (one didn't even have a license yet) each had their own car. My family of 11 had 2 vehicles most of my growing up. My parents never upgraded to a larger vehicle until they couldn't safely fit all of us. While my mom now has to have a job, she carpools & my dad works from his home office. We don't build new homes because there are so many already built that are vacant (many of which are from the dying baby boomers & their parents). My parents are frugal & have never bought a new car. They always get the most fuel efficient vehicle they can afford. All 9 of us have learned to do the same. My upbringing was key to this. Also, my mom used cloth diapers for 6 out of the 9 of us. I still remember washing diapers out in the toilet. I'm so granola that my little family only uses toilet paper for #2 (& that's only cause we live in an apartment). I bet if someone calculated it, my parents entire posterity has had less of a carbon footprint than the rich bitch that tried to shame me out of having a large family. I'm gonna have as many kids as I can so I can teach them how to respect the earth & encourage them to do the same (have a lot of kids & teach them well). It won't take many generations of this before my posterity alone will have a significant impact on the way things are done in this world. It is creepy that humans would suggest that other humans try to help reduce the population. They are just elitist eugenists that only see other humans as useless eaters. Creeps!

Miguel
Miguel
10 years ago

For me it's irrelevant how this world came to existence (God, Big Bang, etc.)

The relevant part I see is that the moment mankind in its evolution started differentiating from other species in its ability to "to extend its capabilities" through making and using "tools" (sticks, pointy rocks, etc.), this gave humans the ability to "overpower" other species.... Since those days, we're DOOMED.

Today we humans perceive that it's our right to want everything (TV, a house, mobile, food, services, shopping, etc.). It the consequence of wanting everything that makes mankind destroy the planet.

It's not a matter of controlling how many people live in the planet, it's a matter of reversing the culture of mankind... getting mankind not to want to everything... Is it possible?... do you think every single human across all religions and cultures would give up everything?... don't think so...

It's like saying to every family on the planet that lives in a house or an appartment: "Please stop wanting everything... please live in a tent from now on (like camping)"... would people do it? would you do it?.. don't think so :-(

We're Fu&*d

Shane Evans
Shane Evans
10 years ago

God created the planet, it is for him and him alone to decide who lives and who dies. The planet will resolve the problem naturally...

And when your time arrives you will stand before god each in turn and answer charges on how you behaved here on earth...

man can not control its masters regardless of what each person may think. Now you may not be religious or believe in such affairs, so...

It gets even more simple to deal with, Every animal species on the planet will breed out of control and beyond its limits, and the only thing that keeps each in check is the natural events of the planet itself and the cycle of life it creates.

Mankind may be the top of the food chain, but the planet controls the 2% of fresh water that feeds you all. The planet has already got its own safeguard against the human population.

Sangereanu Dean
Sangereanu Dean
10 years ago

to keep balance on planet earth we should be 1 billion people not 7 billion

amber
amber
10 years ago

Plant based diets would have a profound difference. Most of our agricultural land is used to feed meat production animals. Our animals bred for meat/dairy/eggs outnumber humans by 3:1. There is more than enough grain on this earth to feed the world where many people are dying of starvation. 13lbs of grain is used to produce just 1lb of beef and 70% of the deforested amazon land is now used for feed production and pastures...Please look up the numerous health and environmental benefits before posting an uneducated, negative response. We will learn this one way or another; that unless a drastic change a occurs a meat based diet will be one of the leading causes of our premature demise.

bumpercrop
bumpercrop
11 years ago

We are running out of fresh water, acidifying our oceans, decimating our fisheries, desertifying our arable land, slashing and burning our vital forests, and aggressively blowing poison into our oxygen supply.
Overpopulation is connected to every major problem humanity faces.
Contraception needs to be free and freely available for all human beings
world-wide. What keeps an inexpensive and easily applied answer to slowing down global warming via over-population? The religious and their archaic and fear-based dogma. Visit SIECUS,org to discover the reproduction education curriculum in your county. (or lack thereof)

Noneyabidness
Noneyabidness
11 years ago

Of course he's in a room with 3 lamps and 2 candles...way to go using more than your fair share! Bet he's wearing more than one layer of clothing as well...talk about hypocrite!

JAM BS
JAM BS
11 years ago

Baron Evelyn de Rothshithead and Ted Turner are the largest landholders in the world. These land whores could fit all of humanity on their land. So give it back to the people you stole it from, this is not your planet, is it ours and humans, evolving through the conveyor belt between Hades the place, (Lagoon Nebula) and Earth, have had their fill of your type. I love humanity, they are chill and groovy, when not disturbed by war for profit from drug dealing despots not divinely appointed by any god of heaven in the front row of creation.

JAM BS
JAM BS
11 years ago

Post Judgment, post War in Heaven that was won by Zeus, with the help of Demeter/Durga and Persephone/Kali; Shiva/Uranus/Hades rising from the dead; the overthrow of Eros, death on two sticks, who tried to usurp the kingdom will not rise from the dead. Ganesha fell in the War on Earth with Eros/Lucifer and Cronos/Caplan and the other fallen. Humans made it, the tenth race, but barely. So who cares, the only ones not returning are the likes of those who tried to take over earth and seed hate groups, like this bloke. Bye.

Timothy Chapp
Timothy Chapp
11 years ago

By DEFINITION, if we are not living sustainably, we are overpopulated. Stop breeding so danged much. Adopt!! (and cease the deplorable waste; other people will have to use this planet some day).

onewa
onewa
11 years ago

The planet earth can only hold so many people. Currently we have 7,056,000,000 and keeps on going up by the second. If we dont do anything to stop world population from growing then we will eventually run into many problems in the future at some point. I would strongly suggest that every country in this world should put a BAN ON BIRTH for 30 or 40 years. If that would of happen then that would reduce so many problems such as crime, theft, rape, CO2 pollution, less jerks to deal with etc.

Dawson Darling
Dawson Darling
11 years ago

Stupid copyright laws, this should be accessible to anyone. Here's doubting bbc worldwide even has it on their own page. Money wins out again...

idrizzify1
idrizzify1
11 years ago

i actually agree with bob your either scared of death or your just ignorant and a fool humans have become too much if we continue to populate think about all these animals which would get extinct about %60 of all sea creatures have been wiped out in the past 100 years we are cutting down forests on a massive scale humans need to be 'reset' and nature needs to recover from this problem or maybe even wipe us out

planets like ours are very rare and its hard to say how rare so why should we kill off living things on this planet its just not right humans shouldnt be this size in population

BobBently
BobBently
11 years ago

solution: We need a global pandemic to wipe out 2/3 of the world population. A global population reset would solve so many problems. If we won't initiate a 3rd world war to solve the problems,, hopefully nature will. i pray there's a scientist out there somewhere in some lab working on this, You call it a disease, I call it a cure.

lotus
lotus
11 years ago

This documentary points out three problems but addresses only 2 of the issues.
1. population
2. water
3. consumption in developed world (USA, Europe)
I didn't hear any points of views from common people in the developed world about point# 3, especially from USA who happen to be the largest drain and cause of conflicts and wars on the world's resources.

Janyn Mercado
Janyn Mercado
11 years ago

LoL, I'm dumb!

Mark Skinner
Mark Skinner
12 years ago

Firstly, I don't think that "god" or whatever you call it has much to do with the way that man is raping, and destroying, the planet. In the Bible it says that man was given "free will". The Bible is Holy, so it must be true.
It is greed, pure and simple. Earth is pretty well ******...biosystems are hanging by threads around the world. Watch and see...it's a great time to be alive.
I sincerely hope that the perpetrators drop dead realquick and meet their maker; who I am sure will be wanting an explanation for their total disregard for anything resembling stewardship of Earth. Actually, I think that many are going to find themselves in this position sometime really soon, like in the next 12 months....so you better think about what your story is. I've got mine.

Antichrist6
Antichrist6
12 years ago

What we need 2 do is 2 kill at least 5 billion people of our population by wars,diseases and starvation.If our kind hope 2 survive the next 100 yrz,if human kind fails 2 heed my warning i will take it upon myself 2 act more drastic than i suggested.